Skip to main content

​
For the First Draft

​
Keep It Simple

Medium sized prompts almost always outperform extremely long and detailed ones. The agent will ask when it needs more information, so you don’t need to anticipate everything upfront. Good example:
“I want to create an Instagram reel. Go through the transcript, find highlights for a 1-2 minute clip. Add captions and some background music.”
Instead of:
“Make an engaging clip”

​
Structure Prompts Logically

The following structure works the best:
  1. Define the goal first - what’s the video for and who’s it for?
  2. Sequence the timeline - provide the agent with a script or rough sequence
  3. Clean up - remove silences, dead takes, repetitive content
  4. Final touches - add captions, background music, transitions, sound effects, etc.
Example:
“Create a 60-second LinkedIn video from this interview recording - @REC_6472.mov.

We introduce the guest, talk about geopolitics, jobs, AI, fitness, and then end with rapid fire questions. Look more through the transcript to find the detailed sequence.

Cut out silences and any repeated takes.

Add captions in white at the bottom, and add some upbeat background music.”

​
What Cardboard Can Do

To set the right expectations, here’s what the agent works with: It can: find and sequence the right clips, create highlights, add captions, apply filters, generate voiceovers, adjust pacing, add background music, transitions, sound effects and remove silences. It can’t: generate music, sound effects, images, or video footage.

​
The Sweet Spot

Too little context makes the agent guess. But if you give it too much, it might get confused. Aim for a clear goal + key constraints, then let the agent handle the execution.

​
How to ask Cardboard for Incremental Changes

My first draft has some slow moments. Let’s fix that.
Type this in AI Chat (right panel): “Remove all silent parts, dead sections and repetitive takes. I want to tighten the pacing”
Hit Enter. Cardboard looks at your video, finds the pauses, and cuts them out. Your video now flows better.

​
Tips for better prompts

  • Do it iteratively: Start with a small edit, then refine with follow-up commands.
  • Be specific: “Add captions” works. “Add bold white captions at the bottom with a black background” works even better.
  • Use ”@” to mention clips or music: “Match cuts to the beat of @background-music.mp3”
  • Reference timestamps: “Zoom in at 0:15” or “Speed up from 0:10 to 0:25”
  • Stack relevant requests: “Add captions, remove silent parts, and add upbeat music” - all fall under enhancements.
The AI has context of recent conversation. You can say things like “Actually, undo that and make it 45 seconds instead.”

​
When AI Doesn’t Get It Right

Sometimes AI misunderstands. No worries.
  • Hit undo – Use Command+Z on Mac or Ctrl+Z on Windows
  • Clarify your prompt – “Actually, make the captions smaller and move them to the top”
  • Try a different approach – Instead of “make it better,” say “add transitions and speed it up”
The more specific you are, the better it gets.

​
What’s next?

Auto-Generated Captions

Learn about Cardboard’s caption features.

The Editor Layout

See where everything is in the editor.